Peg Perego Viaggio HBB 120 vs Flex 120 Compared

Viaggio HBB 120Viaggio Flex 120

The Peg Perego Viaggio HBB 120 vs Viaggio Flex 120 seats are both 2-in-1 belt-positioning booster seats that are designed to be used by kids who have outgrown their harness seats.

I always suggest that kids transition into high-backed booster seats rather than backless booster seats as they have additional safety and practicality features.

Viaggio HBB 120 vs Flex 120 – Similarities

1. Child Height & Weight Limits

Both seats are rated as suitable for children weighing between 40 and 120 lbs.

Although these seats can be used from a little as 40 lbs, you should consider using a harnessed seat instead until you child has outgrown its maximum weight limit (usually at least 55 lbs), unless they have outgrown the height limit before that.

The child height limit on the HBB 120 seat is 39 to 57 inches.

The child height limit on the Flex 120 seat is 39 to 63 inches.

2. LATCH Installation

Both seats can be installed within your vehicle using the LATCH anchor points.

I wouldn’t get too concerned about the specific type of LATCH connectors used with these seats because, unlike with convertible car seats, the LATCH anchors are not actually relied upon to restrain the seat in the event of a collision.

With a high-backed booster seat, it is the adult vehicle seat belt that retrains your child rather than the LATCH connectors. The seat belt goes across the lap and shoulder in the same way that it would with an adult. The LATCH connectors on a booster seat are there to stop the seat from being thrown around when it’s not being used by a child.

The main purpose of the booster seat is to raise your child’s body up and enable the seat belt to fit across the child’s lap and shoulder correctly. If you didn’t use a booster seat, the lap part of the belt would probably cut across your child’s abdomen and the upper part of the belt would cut across their neck area.

Before moving on from the issue of installation, another impressive feature on the Flex 120 seat is that you can install it whilst it is in the “folded-up” position. This makes it much easier to position the Rigid LATCH connectors accurately and really does speed up the installation process.

Once you’ve installed it safely in the folded-up position, you then simply flip the back up until you hear it click and you are ready to go.

3. Side Impact Protection

Both seats come with the kind of side impact protection features that you would not get with a backless booster seat. These features aim to add extra protection to the head, neck and spine areas of your child’s body in the event of a collision.

You can clearly see the extra padding around these areas of the seats by looking at the images above.

4. Other Features

Other shared features include:

Side Impact Protection

EPS Foam

2 Cup Holders

Good range of stylish fabric color options

Made in Italy

Viaggio HBB 120 vs Flex 120 – Differences

Whilst both seats are considered to be excellent premium high-backed booster car seats, there are some important differences for you to consider before choosing between them

Aside from the different LATCH installation systems described above, the main differences are …

1. Blind Lock Attaching System

The Flex 120 Seat comes with a nice safety feature called the blind lock attaching system, which basically means that the seat cannot accidentally be released by another passenger when they are unlocking their own seatbelt. This is an excellent addition for those with multiple children as they often accidentally unlock the wrong seat belt clip when getting out of their seat.

2. Backless Mode

The Flex 120 seat cannot be used as a backless booster seat when your child gets older. For the full height and weight range of this seat’s lifespan, it must have the backrest attached. Personally, I like this fact as it removes the temptation to remove the back part of the seat in response to a child’s complaints about wanting to convert the seat to “big boy or girl mode”!

The HBB 120 seat can be converted into a backless booster seat if you wish. Please be sure to check the User Manual for any recommended minimum weight and height restrictions on using this seat in backless mode.

The only real benefit of a backless mode is the fact that it usually makes transportation so much easier. However, although the Flex 120 does not have a backless mode, it can actually be folded up when not in use so that it can be transported around just like one of the backless versions.

3. Seat Adjustment / Recline Options

The “Flex” part of Viaggio Flex 120 product name comes from the fact that it has many more adjustment settings that a standard high-backed booster seat. Even premium models usually only have quite limited adjustment options, but the Flex 120 is very different.

Most highbacked booster seats come with only 1 or 2 recline settings (including the HBB 120, which has 2 settings) and their other adjustments are limited to moving the headrest upwards and downwards according to the height of your child.

The Peg Perego Primo Viaggio Flex 120 seat can be adjusted in many more ways so that you will find it much easier to achieve the perfect fit for your child.

The seat’s “4D Total Adjust Technology” means that it can be adjusted as follows:

5 vertical headrest positions

3 vertical upper backrest positions

3 width adjustments for side wings

5 recline positions

So, you can see that this seat really can be adjusted to suit the shape of your child’s body to ensure the maximum possible comfort and protection in a collision situation.

Of the many different adjustments that can be made to this seat, the 2 that are really unique are the ability to adjust the upper backrest and the ability to alter the width of the seat.

NB: Unlike the Flex 120 seat, the HBB 120 version comes with a headrest that adjusts separately from the backrest. So, whilst the headrest adjust according to your child’s increasing height, the backrest stays where it is.

Viaggio HBB 120 vs Flex 120 – My Verdict

I would be very happy for any of my children to use one of these seats rather than those made by Peg Perego’s competitors.

They are not cheap seats but, with a lifespan of 12 years, you should be able to get a lot of use out of them for your money, especially if you have multiple children of different ages.

The HBB 120 is a perfectly good choice, but if you have a generous budget and are looking for a booster seat that comes fitted with every conceivable safety and convenience feature I would strongly recommend the Flex 120 seat.

The 4D Total Adjust Technology on the Flex 120 seat is totally unique to the Flex 120 and makes it much easier to get a perfect fit as your child grows.

Safety Information

After purchasing any child car seat, you should always read the User Manual thoroughly before using it. It is also advisable to visit your local Fire Department or NHTSA Child Car Seat Inspection Centre to ensure that the seat is definitely suitable for your child’s specific requirements and that you have installed it correctly. These services are usually provided free of charge.